Thursday, October 13, 2011

CAMIGUIN, Mambajao, Oct. 14 (PIA) – An Immigration Booth will be put up by the Bureau of Immigration (BI), here, this coming Oct. 20-21, for foreign tourists who will be visiting Camiguin Island, during the Lanzones Festival, set from Oct. 16-23, this year.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. said a team of BI officials will travel to Camiguin and man the booth, which is part of the one-stop-shop organized by the Camiguin Provincial Government.

Aside from providing visa extension services, the Immigration Booth will also entertain queries and disseminate information about the various services provided by BI to foreigners visiting the country, David said.

“We hope that through this One-Stop-Shop, foreigners who will join the festival will be encouraged to frequently visit, not only Camiguin, but also explore other tourist spots in the Philippines,” the Immigration Commissioner said.

He added that BI will study the feasibility of putting similar one–stop-shops in other places of the country that holds annual festivities and attract large numbers of foreign tourists.

Meanwhile, BI Boarding Section Chief Theodore Pascual said personnel from the bureau’s computer section in Manila and the BI-Cagayan de Oro (CDO) Field Office, including a payment assessor and cashier, will man the booth.

Other agencies, such as, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Statistic Office (NSO), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will also participate in the one-stop shop activity.

Pascual was invited to speak at the public forum to discuss the latest policies and regulations implemented by the BI as Chief Regulator of the entry and stay of foreigners in the Philippines.

Aside from boosting local tourism, the activity also aims to generate employment opportunities for Camiguin residents, according to a primer released by island’s Provincial Capitol, Pascual added. (BI/PIA-10)